Awakening
Chapter Twelve: The Not So Calm Before the Storm
By Star*dust
A/N: I give up! I'm so sick of writing this chapter! I've read through it at least a dozen times and I'm done!!
I apologize for the depressingly short length of this chapter. I tried hard, but there wasn't anything else I could think of to put in here. However, the things that I did write I'm sure will be satisfying...well, at least, they'll be shocking. I was having a lot of fun with this chapter. Several rather dramatic scenes happen in this chapter. There are some good laughs too. I really think you'll enjoy this one.
I'm sorry about the way the characters are...like Remus, I don't mean to portray him as being a jerk or anything. I really like Remus; he's just a good device to use to create conflict. And, I'm sorry about being so dramatic...it's just so much fun to write.
This chapter is sort of like the setting things up chapter. All these things happen that are just sort of left hanging there and in the next chapter they will be explained...and then, of course, there are some cliff hangers and that sort of thing, too.
And, I will warn you about some swearing. I know there's pretty strong language throughout the story but this chapter is particularly full of those words.
SUMMARY: Well, Angie and Sirius are having relationship issues. Neither wants to commit because their afraid of hurt emotions... On the other end of the spectrum Bill Weasley and Sierra Havairhafpvermin are developing a nice little relationship. What's with the ever changing Founder's room? Let's not forget December seventeenth and it's mystery. And is it possible that Angie is pregnant? You are about to find out very soon.
Thank you so much for reading. This chapter starts the real plot. We're entering the height of action so I hope you're ready because I'm excited, like whoa!! Enjoy!!
* * * "Angela, dear, I don't mean to sound presumptuous or nosy... and I don't mean to offend you, dear. But, would it be possible that you are pregnant?"
The effect of this simple, nervously asked question was absolutely astonishing. Angie felt like an entire building was crashing down upon her. Her vision went black for a moment and every particle in her body was focused on that one paralyzing thought. She saw a picture of Sirius, young, suave, and eighteen, laughing of course, flash in her mind and her body went rigid.
She shook herself and laughed in a strangled high-pitched way. "Of course not! At my age?" She replied nervously. Madame Pomfrey added her own hesitant laugh.
"Perhaps you had better make an appointment at St. Mungo's. I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with you...Just to be on the safe side."
"That's nonsense," Angie insisted. "Give this thing a week or two and it will all go away." She was in a state of blatant denial at this point. She was convinced her so called illness was all in her mind.
"I'll make you the appointment for one week anyway. If you're better by then, we'll cancel the appointment. If not, promise me that you will go," Madame Pomfrey said, her face grave.
"Yes, I'll go..." Angie quietly acquiesced.
Seemingly satisfied Madame Pomprey started to take a few steps but then stopped and turned back around. "Shall I let the Professor in now?"
"Oh no...please...not now," Angie said, slowly lying back against the pillows. The last thing Angie wanted was an interrogation when her mind was in this panicked state.
"You look troubled dear. Let me just get you something to help you relax... Here you go. A good, solid sleep will do you good."
Angie only eyed the stuff for a moment before she decided sleep would be better than the torture her mind would put her through. She gulped the stuff and closed her eyes. She could already feel her mind getting fuzzy. "Please...tell Remus that I'm OK, I'm just going to take a rest and I'll see him later..."
"All right dear," Madame Pomfrey said closing the hangings around her bed.
~*~
Remus went as quickly as he could to the house in Hogsmeade. He knew Sirius would have himself worked into a terrible state by now. He was so melodramatic. That look of sheer panic he'd had earlier was extremely suspicious...
Shaking the thought, which was no doubt a product of an overactive imagination; from his head he approached the house. He burst through the front door where Sirius was lying in wait for him.
"And the diagnosis is?" Remus wasn't deceived by the cool tone and casual style of the question; for one, Sirius's hands were clenched into tight fists.
Sirius had sat seething with anger and frustration at his position. Remus shouldn't have been the one to take her to the hospital wing. He should be there right now. The thought of Remus sitting next to her and holding her hand suddenly made Sirius sick.
He couldn't figure out what his problem was. Remus was a good guy, a good friend, he wasn't trying to make trouble or hurt anyone. That didn't stop Sirius from being jealous and it certainly didn't stop him from being extremely pissed off.
"Madame Pomfrey gave her some medication. She's resting now but everything is going to be OK." Remus explained.
"OK? What was wrong with her?"
"She didn't say..." Remus replied uneasily.
"What do you mean she didn't say?" Sirius pressed. Remus could see the fire in his eyes from across the room.
"All she said was that Angie will make a full recovery and that she was sleeping. I never even got to see her." Sirius snapped his teeth together and turned on his heel. He was extremely vexed but was desperately trying to control his temper. It really wasn't Remus' fault he didn't know any more than that. "Sirius, don't try and do anything stupid. She will be fine."
Sirius turned blazing eyes on Remus. "Why does everyone think I'm a bloody idiot!? I understand better than any of you the risks and the repercussions of said risks. Stop telling me what to do!"
"Apologies, Sirius. I'm merely pointing out the fact that Angie isn't the only person I'm concerned about." Remus replied mildly. He was trying to get control of the situation.
"Well you needn't waste time on me!" Sirius snapped. He let his temper get the better of him when he added, "By the way, Sierra's left you for a younger man."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Remus shouted, losing his cool as well.
"It means you're not the only one who can give a person the run-around." Sirius bared his teeth in an unsightly manner.
"Don't try and make me feel guilty," Remus said, standing up for himself. He felt like he was getting a rather raw deal, here. "The only reason I haven't broke things off with Angie is out of concern for her. I don't want to hurt her feelings or mess up our friendship."
"Funny, she says the same thing about you," Sirius vaguely realized he was saying too much but he was beyond the point of self-control. He was also beyond the point of caring.
Remus paused and let the statement sink in. He took a calming breath and then, "The two of you have discussed our relationship?"
"Don't try and put me on the defensive," Sirius snapped.
"Not at all," Remus retorted sarcastically. "Why don't you just say it? You can't get over her. You hate the fact that she's with me now!" With a sudden jolt in the brain Remus realized that this was starting to sound hauntingly familiar to arguments they might have said back in school. At any rate, it was rather a rather immature thing for him to say. There was nothing he could do now, and besides, he was really getting into the spirit of things. He was tired of Sirius moping around and complaining and expecting everyone else to help him out.
"You're the one who just said you've been looking for the right time to break it off!" Sirius countered.
"You're still in love with her Sirius, but you know you can't have her! That's it, isn't it?" Remus suddenly felt as if he had been sitting in transfiguration class for a few weeks and he had just discovered the key that allowed everything they had been studying to make perfect sense. Several things locked into place at once.
"Of course I'm bloody in love with her! I'll never get over her. I can't stand the fact that you're with her and I can't do a god damn thing about it because I'm a fugitive and the bloody world is against me! Are you satisfied, Remus?" Sirius exploded.
Remus was very silent for a long period of time. When he spoke next it was in a much more controlled voice. "You should have said something Sirius."
"Why? What the hell good would it have done?"
"I'm not sure...but at least you wouldn't be bothered by the fact that I..."
"Never mind, Remus...never mind."
"No, Sirius. I think you should tell her how you feel."
"I fucking married her! What the hell else do I have to do!?... I need a bloody drink." He turned and made his way toward the kitchen. Remus stood rooted to the spot. Talk about sudden and surprising shock.
Remus found Sirius in the kitchen banging around in the cupboards. He'd located a bottle was looking for a glass...apparently. "You want to explain to me what the hell you just said?" Remus asked with as much politeness as the situation allowed him to muster.
Sirius had abandoned all hope for a glass and threw back a shot straight from the bottle. "No," He replied hoarsely.
"Damn it Sirius—" Remus shouted but Sirius still managed to yell over him.
"You want to know why I wasn't at James's house getting blown up like the rest of them on Halloween? Angie and I were married that night. And without as much as a word she turns around and gets married to Joshua Thompson. But you know, I've even gotten over that enough to forgive. So, New Year's Eve she decides that she's ready to forget too. Except, for some reason...the next morning I'm telling her a relationship would never work. And now, here I am, getting drunk and wondering what the hell is the point?"
"Sirius..."
"Get the hell out of here... I said get out!"
* * *
It was terrible weather. The wind was blowing at impossible speeds and the ground was being covered by a nasty sleet. When Angie found the letter it had begun to hail.
"Angela,
I've decided that I can't take any more of this. If I can't have everything, nothing is better. This is absolute torture beyond the hell of Azkaban. I can't even explain...I'm going away. Please, don't try to contact me...give it some time, at least..."
There were several words crossed out in heavy black ink...and he hadn't even bothered to sign his name.
* * *
Remus was sitting at his desk, bogged down by loads of parchment, and yet, he was staring into the depths of the fire. It was Monday. Angie had stayed at her house...out sick...and Sirius's words stuck in his mind. A soft knock brought him back to the present. It was Sierra.
"Evening, Sierra," Remus said, not bothering to rise.
"Hi, Remus," She said, taking a seat opposite him. She looked nervous. He wondered if that was only because he knew what was coming. "I know what you're going to say, Sierra," He said, before she could begin.
"You do...?" Sierra asked, looking up questioningly.
"I think it's for the best...don't you?"
"Well...yes...I suppose. I mean, what were we really doing anyway?"
"Just having fun," Remus said with a shrug. She agreed with a smile.
"How did you...?" Sierra wondered allowed, trying to process the situation.
"Sirius got a little heated the other night and told me some things he probably shouldn't have..." Remus explained matter-of-factly.
"Sirius was talking about Bill and me?" Sierra said. Remus detected a note of panic in her voice.
"That wasn't the primary focus of conversation but he mentioned something. He was a little vague on the details though. You wouldn't be talking about Bill Weasley?" Remus asked, raising a provocative eye brow.
"You say a word, you die..." Sierra realized only too late that she was doing exactly the thing Sirius said she would do. She was the one worried what other people would thing of her younger man. This was a very backward feeling to her; usually she was the one telling people what they were doing...not the other way around.
"So...how's Bill's big idea coming along?" Remus questioned, politely steering the topic of conversation away from an obviously sensitive issue. He was still grinning amusedly, however.
"We're nearly ready...two weeks maybe..."
"Wow... That's good. Sirius really needs a break."
"A break?" Sierra questioned, her eye brows drawing together slightly.
"Yeah...like I said...he was a little heated." Remus replied vaguely.
"Oh no...he's not still steaming about Angie is he? I've been trying to tell him—"
"You know about Sirius and Angie?" Remus interrupted. He was suddenly leaning forward.
"Uh...what exactly do you mean?" Sierra was worried that she might slip again. Twice in the span of a week...that wouldn't look so good. Although, Sirius had slipped up about her and Bill. That was always a good counter- attack; Sierra thought rapidly.
"Oh...well, he's crazy about her, you know," Remus replied, wondering just how much Sierra "knew". He eased himself back into his chair.
"Yeah...it's sort of pathetic really..." She replied slowly.
"It doesn't help that Angie was in the hospital wing two days ago. Sorry—I didn't mean to spring it on you like that. She's OK...at least, last I heard. She went back to her house yesterday. Madame Pomfrey released her and said she'd be all right."
"Well...what happened?" Sierra cried. Maybe she'd been spending a little too much time in Paris.
"She's been rather sick to her stomach lately. And Valentine's Day she fainted. Right into Sirius's arms," Remus added and Sierra detected a particularly sour note in his tone. "She seemed to be fine though. Maybe you should go check on her..."
"Yeah...I had better..." Sierra said rising. Remus did as well. They contemplated each other awkwardly for a moment. "Well."
"Well."
"Good-bye, Remus," Sierra said thrusting out her hand. Grinning they shook, and then Sierra departed for Angie's.
As the door closed the one word that came to Remus' mind was: random.
* * *
That night Sierra went out to Hogsmeade. The house was dark when she knocked brusquely on the front door. She waited for what seemed like several minutes before the door opened. Angie was bathed in a strange half- light that made her look deathly pale. Sierra was comforted by the fact that she was smiling.
It wasn't until Sierra got inside that she realized that it wasn't really a smile...and it was NOT comforting. The visit was the most unpleasant experience in Sierra's life. That eerie forced smile and unshakable cordiality made her skin crawl.
Angie said that she was better and she would be back to school the next day. She assured Sierra that nothing had happened, that nothing was going on. It was like Angie was pushing her away, telling her she didn't need anyone. But that creepy smile was a clear indication of internal suffering. Something more than a sickness was going on.
Angie was hiding something. Inside she must have been an emotionally ripped mess. Sierra would have bet a good amount of money that Sirius had something to do with it...
When she left Angie told her to have a nice evening. Sierra shivered.
Immediately Sierra went to Bill's. By the time she arrived she was rather distraught. "Where's Sirius? Have you seen or heard from him lately?" She cried the second she had entered.
"Good Lord, what happened?" Bill said, giving a violent start and rushing to her. She was breathing hard, her hair was askew and her face was flushed. The sight was enough to cause anyone's blood pressure to spike.
"Sirius...where—?"
"I don't know...I haven't heard from him in a couple of days. Have you checked at Nikki's?" Bill suggested.
"No, I was just going to go there..."
"Have you checked at his wife's?" Bill said, cracking a grin. So far the situation didn't seem to be as bad as Sierra looked.
"That's not funny!" Sierra snapped. "I just came from there...and oh...it was so horrible..."
"Is she all right?" Bill cried, taking Sierra by the shoulders. Perhaps he had underestimated Sierra.
"Yes...no...I don't know. She's been ill lately and so I went by to check on her. Something terrible has happened, but I don't know what. She had this creepy smile and she was the nicest possible person she could be. I know I'm sounding crazy but that wasn't Angie. I've seen that rigid smile before. My daughter, when I first met her. That's how she tried to cope with her parents being murdered. Bill, there is nothing worse than that smile. I promise you I am not over reacting." She shivered again.
"And you think this has something to do with Sirius?" Bill questioned, just to make sure he accurately understood the situation.
"I don't know...he might know something at the very least."
"OK, well, we'll go to Nikki's and if he's not there we'll try and contact him," Bill said, trying to be comforting. Sierra nodded; there didn't seem to be any other options at the moment.
"Let's hurry," She said, helping him into his cloak. As they made their way to Nikki's, Sierra kept extremely close to Bill. "I hate coming here at night," She whispered to him. He answered with a reassuring squeeze of her hand.
Once inside it was plain to see that Sirius was nowhere to be found. Nikki hadn't heard from him any more recently than Bill had. "It's OK. We'll just send word out. Sierra...are you crying?" Bill pulled her close to him and the tears came.
"I'm sorry. This sometimes happens. People tell me things about their problems and I can't do anything about it. Or I know someone is disturbed and..." She had to break off. Sometimes she hated being a psychiatrist. Not that that fact had much to do with the current situation. "I'll be OK in a minute."
"It doesn't matter. Just let it out," He told her soothingly.
* * *
"Ron, you've got to go and talk to Harry," Kirsten urged him, her eyes wide. Hermione nodded vigorously. "This is a serious issue."
Ron rose without a word. He had a set look about him as if he was about to face certain death. He made a slow and deliberate walk across the common room toward Harry. The girls watched as Ron sat down next to Harry. They exchanged pleasantries.
"So...what's up? Did you want to ask me something?" Harry asked his friend. Poor Harry, he had no idea what was going on.
"Well...see Harry...I..." Ron stumbled around for the right words. This was a damnably awkward conversation. "Harry, where do babies come from?" Ron blurted out suddenly. Harry gave him a very odd look.
"From the stork, Ron..." Harry replied and Ron was too busy panicking to catch the sarcasm. Harry had rolled his eyes and gone back to his homework. Ron rose slowly and made that similar slow walk across the common room. His face was fixed into that panicked, shocked look and he was as pale as if he'd just seen a ghost. All that was missing was the hair standing on end. Hermione and Kirsten were waiting apprehensively.
"What happened?" Kirsten squealed.
"Ron, what's going on?" Hermione demanded.
Slowly taking his seat Ron replied in a far-off voice. "He said the stork brings babies..." He looked as if he couldn't believe it.
"Oh God..." Hermione replied, Kirsten had sworn under her breath.
"This could be a problem..." Ron remarked, still distantly.
* * *
Remus was supposed to grading papers. This was the story of his life, it seemed. Somehow his mind had wandered though...the fire was burning low and the light was rather dim...too dim, in fact, to grade papers. However, this didn't matter much as he had given up all hope of being productive long before now.
His mind focused on his friends...Sierra...Sirius...Angie... With a little chuckle he realized things were not much different nowadays then they had been all those years ago when they were still young and in school... Still...much had changed since then too. Not just the people...the world was different.
Just about the time he decided to give up for the night there was a soft knock at his office door. Before he had time to respond the door was opening and Holly Mischel was entering. She was clutching a letter in one hand and the sides of her cloak in the other. Her eyes lit up when she saw him and she smiled.
"Working hard?" Holly questioned, taking the seat on the opposite side of his desk.
"I think I was nearly asleep," He admitted.
"Well, wake up; I don't know how long I can stay."
"Speaking of that, what are you doing here?" Remus asked, suddenly realizing that this was Hogwarts and that it was February and it was a school day and here was Holly Mischel, a regular witch, a working person.
"What a silly question. I came to see you!" She said, a little sarcastically, adding a wink to her statement. "Actually, that's only a half-truth. I do have a reason for wanting to see you, I mean, other than the usual 'I need Remus' reason. And also other than the fact that I was just at the ministry and they sent, with me, a letter for you," She said, tossing the letter on his desk.
"You left out the part about how I'm so irresistibly handsome," Remus reminded her. He was grinning amusedly at her, his eyes twinkling.
"I wonder how that slipped my mind..." Holly wondered allowed. "I suppose I'll pay for that slip... But seriously, I wanted to talk to you about the recent attacks. Being part of the Order and the Alliance I'm sure you know more than what they've been putting in the papers."
"Well, sure, but...I'm not going to be able to shed any light on the subject. If you were just at the ministry presumably you're in a position to know more than I do."
"The latest then," Holly said, "In two different sites of 'disturbance' they've found the Slytherin crest emblazoned. They're thinking a new cult of some sort has formed. The problem is the IAA has the spies in the underworld, because a lot of the underworld activity takes place in other countries. We've got our own underworld contacts... but, so far, the ministry can't decide the situation of You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters.
"The damn IAA is avoiding Fudge at all costs. Not that Fudge was going to volunteer any of our information anyway. Elizabeth is just being a bitch about the whole affair. The thing they're really worried about is the fate of the carbonated crystal. If there is a new terrorist group and they've got a hold of this crystal...well, we don't know them like we know the Death Eaters. We may be facing a whole new age of terror from an entirely different enemy," Holly explained her face appropriately grave and lined.
"But they have absolutely no names so far?" Remus questioned.
"Not that I could find out...but, I don't have an overly impressive amount of importance in the department," She admitted.
"This only confuses the situation more... Do they think the lights going out on the seventeenth in Diagon Alley had anything to do with the crystal?"
"They don't know. That's part of the reason I came here. I was hoping to talk to Dumbledore and possibly see what kind of literature I can dig up at this library on the crystal. I know the founders invented it, here, in this castle, as a defense mechanism, but we don't really know all of its capabilities. I didn't want to wake Dumbledore though...and I didn't find you in your room...it's getting late you know..."
"I suppose it is..." Remus said absently. Holly suddenly changed her tone of voice abruptly.
"Aren't you going to open your letter? It's all official and everything!" Remus rolled his eyes and picked up the rather thick envelope. It did indeed have an official seal...more than one in fact.
He ripped open the envelope and Holly studied his face as his eyes scanned the words. He had barely begun to read before he did a double-take. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he continued to read at a rapid pace. Holly leaned forward in her chair, feeling eager at his expression. "Christ...there must be some mistake," He muttered.
When he got to the end, he stopped, picked up his wand, lit a candle on his desk, and read the letter again. The second time he finished he swallowed audibly and then carefully folded up the paper, put it in the ripped envelope and then in an inside pocket of his robes.
He took a deep breath and met the inquisitive gaze of Holly, who had perched herself on the edge of her chair. Her chestnut hair fell softly around her face; her lips were moist and slightly parted. Her eyes reflected the flames from the fire place. "Are you going to tell me what was in that letter or are you going to leave it up to my overactive imagination?"
"The former, I believe," He replied. Then, with a faint smile, he stood up and walked around his desk to her. She remained seated, but he took each of her hands in his and spoke very clearly. "Holly, will you marry me?" There was a definite pause before,
"WHAT!?" She cried. "Where the hell did that come from...Remus...what...?"
"Why should I have to explain," He said with a shrug. "I should have asked you years ago..."
"Are you serious?" Remus threw his head back and laughed. He pulled her to her feet and looked her directly in the eye.
"Yes, I want to marry you. I love you." Holly just stood, stock still, not moving, not speaking, not blinking...possibly not even breathing. "Speak...please," Remus said hopefully.
"What is there to say? That pretty much sums it up," She replied, in a distant voice.
"True, but you could answer my question."
"Question?" She echoed blankly. "Oh right! That question...I mean! That question! Yes! Of course! I...yes! I love you too!" There was a brief interlude where the now engaged couple displayed their affectionate emotions for one another. "Sorry about the delayed reaction..." Holly remarked. "You just....shocked me. But...what was in that letter? It obviously caused a drastic reaction."
Remus pulled out the letter in question and spread it out on his desk. Holly read in shocked silence the official words on the page.
Remus had just inherited a small...well, nice-sized, fortune.
* * *
Just as Harry was resigning himself to a relatively calm and normal year of school he had to wind up here. The current definition of 'here' was at best obscure. Currently, he was staring down his nose at an enigma. Well...it was clearly a ring...but it was still a mystery.
Here he was, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, smack in the middle of a room so obviously pro-Slytherin. It was as if Harry had stepped into a time warp and was now in the midst of the middle ages. The castle itself seemed to transform just by Harry stepping into this room.
And somehow, he had stumbled upon this ring. The ring was an object of beauty. That ring was a spectacular piece of craftsmanship and it literally radiated power. Power that Harry was drawn toward.
The problem with the ring was it wasn't really a ring. It looked like a ring. But the center was solid...except that you could see through it... an enigma. When he tried to put his finger through the band, he was stopped as if it were a solid circle. He tried to stick a quill through it to no avail.
The room had other interesting things inside of it as well. The room itself was an enigma. It had a haunting light to it and a dreadfully cold temperature. Still, after being in that room for a few seconds there was no doubt that Salazar Slytherin had been a genius of men.
His desk was littered with notebooks and diagrams and notes and incantations. All around the place there was a curious assortment of queer looking objects. Harry looked around at the forgotten cauldrons.
The man must have been a genius. He had the makings of a laboratory here, centuries before the concept had been invented. It was clear the room was long dead now. Nothing stirred and the air was heavy. But it wasn't difficult to imagine, to see and to hear, what the room must have been like at the prime of Slytherin's lifetime.
Harry kept wandering around thinking...why me? Why had he come upon this room? What did it mean... and always that ring was on his mind. It was now safely in his pocket waiting to have it's mysteries solved.
Eventually Harry reached the empty grate in the fireplace and stood staring in deep contemplation. He had a haunting recollection of his first year and the sorting hat whispering to him. He shuddered and turned his back to the empty grate.
Harry got the queerest feeling of being watched and the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. All of the sudden he thought he heard the echoing of a far off scream and the goose bumps rose.
Harry suddenly felt compelled to get away from the dead calm of the room. He left, taking the ring with him.
* * *
It had been five days since Angie had found Sirius's letter. Five days... Tomorrow she had an appointment in London. Tomorrow was the moment of truth. She knew what was going to happen tomorrow...and when she needed him most he was gone...
~*~
Angie returned to the house the next evening with a heavy heart. It was true, she was seven weeks pregnant. She slumped down onto the nearest piece of furniture and wept, wondering how the hell something like this could happen.
Angie slipped into complete emotional despair. She loved Sirius, she had always loved Sirius but there was not a damn thing that she could do about it. He was a convicted murderer. They were both emotional wrecks...and now...now he was gone...probably for good.
For the first time in a long time she found herself thinking of all the "what-ifs".
What if Sirius had proposed to her before she met Josh? What if she wouldn't have gone to quidditch world cup that year? What if Sirius would have fought for her? What if Sirius hadn't had been such a jerk about the night she got pregnant? What if Sirius had been James and Lily's secret keeper?
What if she really did kill herself?
Remus had gotten up his nerve to finally go and see Angie. Sierra had been telling him something was wrong but he wasn't sure how he would react when he was alone with her. He was still reeling from the shock of previous enlightenment.
He found her, red-rimmed eyes and all. She said only. "He's gone Remus," before she broke down again. Next to her, on the table he found the piece of parchment with Sirius's last words.
"Oh God," He whispered. "Not now...we're so close... I'm going to go find him Angie," Remus said, his jaw set. Angie was too distraught to even reply but Remus left the house hastily, taking the letter with him.
He begged entrance into Sierra's mansion for nearly an hour before she finally saw him and let him in. Before she even had a chance to speak to him he brandished the letter at her. The color drained from her face and for a moment she thought she might actually faint. Then, silently, and efficiently she put on her traveling cloak.
Together they went to Paris.
They interrupted a little de-briefing that Bill was giving. An assorted group of Alliance members were present as he was explaining the logistics of his "plan". They were only days away.
The group was all silent and somber faced as the letter was passed around. "I was the last person to talk to him," Remus explained. "When I saw him, he was raving mad and throwing back liquor."
"Everyone has bad days," Mundungus Fletcher said matter-of-factly. "And he's got more reason to have them than the rest of us."
"This is deeper than you realize," Remus said. "Angela and Sirius were married the night Lily and James were murdered."
Everything went deathly still.
"How do you know that, Remus?" Sierra asked quietly.
"He shouted it at me the last time I saw him. The last thing he said to me before throwing me out was 'what the hell is the point?'."
"Jesus Christ," Sierra replied running a nervous hand across her face. It was a good thing she didn't have any doctor's appointments in the near future. Her stress level was unbelievable and her blood pressure had probably settled itself at an abnormally high level.
"Sierra and I have been trying to find him for over a week now...without any success," Bill said gravely.
The meeting wrapped up rather quickly despite the fact that other Alliance members were desperately trying to get explanations on Angie and Sirius' history. Remus, Sierra, Bill, Nikki, and, suspiciously, Holly stayed around and discussed the situation for a while. It was finally decided that Sierra would go to the school and ask the kids if they had heard from Sirius. Remus was rather skeptical of this plan but Sierra had hope that he had written Hermione.
~*~
Sierra summoned Ron, Hermione, and Harry to her office. She was worked up enough to get right to the point. "Have any of you seen or heard from Sirius in the past week?" The three exchanged a brief look but all answers were the same.
"Haven't talked to him for quite a while," Harry replied.
"Hermione?" Sierra asked hopefully. She shook her head.
"It's been well over a week," She told her mother.
Sierra had been so sure that Sirius would have written something to Hermione that the negative response caused something close to a panic inside her. Tears gathered in her eyes and she bit her lip. "I was afraid of that," She choked out before she totally broke down.
The three again exchanged various looks of alarm. "Has something happened?" Harry exclaimed.
Sierra pulled herself into a relatively collected state and attempted to explain to the confused looks of the children. "The last anyone saw of him he was in quite a state of agitation... or depression... and coupled with a good amount of alcohol he may have... We have other reasons to suspicion..." Sierra broke off. She wasn't able to complete that thought, especially not to the kids. "We've been trying to locate him for over a week now..." She added miserably.
"I'm sure he's fine," Hermione insisted. "He's probably just gone away for a while..." She said, though she sounded as if she were convincing herself more than doing anything else. The particular set of her mouth and the nervous movements of her hands betrayed her attempt at coolness. The fact was this was disturbing news no matter how you looked at it.
"Oh...I know you're right. I was just so sure that he would have sent you a letter... He must come back though....he must," Sierra said.
Everyone was too absorbed in their own thoughts to ask Sierra to explain further. Each person was wondering where in the world Sirius Black could be?
* * *
In the wake of everything that was happening Holly and Remus decided to keep their engagement and his sudden coming into money on the down low for a while. Of course, that didn't stop them from enjoying one another's company.
It was crazy, really. They had been dating on and off for well over a decade and were never serious about it. In fact, they weren't even technically dating when he sort of sprung the question on her. But, it just felt right to them.
* * *
"Do you have ANY idea the worry you've caused? I have never seen my mother cry before but she was really upset about you! She's going to murder you—I swear! Where have you been? Why would you just leave without telling anyone? WHAT is your problem?" Hermione ranted until she ran out of breath. Sirius was casually leaning against a tree in an unnerving manner.
"You didn't wear a little black dress," Sirius pointed out in a mildly disappointed tone. Hermione gave him an exasperated look. The man was entirely missing the point. She felt like screaming at him.
"You don't deserve that privilege," She snapped.
"Ouch!" Sirius replied.
"Were you even listening to me?" Hermione demanded, annoyed.
"Yes, yes," Sirius said hastily in an off-hand manner. "But it's going to be very difficult to answer all those questions since you asked them all in one breath."
"Didn't you get the letters my mother sent you?" Hermione said, rather than letting him answer some of the previously asked questions, she decided to ask a completely new one.
"Oh yes," Sirius said dryly. "All those bloody owls, you'd think she was TRYING to get me caught!"
"Why didn't you respond?" Hermione demanded. Sirius shrugged. "Is that all you can do? You have—"
"Hermione!" Sirius snapped, completely cutting her off. He was at the end of his short fuse. "I needed to work some things out, OK? And I didn't come here to get reprimanded. I came to see you because I knew I'd get enough of THAT from everyone else. I mean, for goodness sakes, I went away for a couple of days...I used to go away for months without a word and without the whole world getting ulcers!"
"OK, ok. You're safe and that's the important thing," Hermione ignored Sirius's eye roll. It did sound like a rather motherly thing to say. "Where did you go?"
"I went to Ireland."
"Ireland? Why?"
"I went to visit my friend Brandon Fishwick, if you must know." Sirius informed her with an arrogant air.
"Are you going to see my mother?" Hermione questioned, nearly reverting back to the previous subject.
"Eventually...I mean, it's inevitable," Sirius said with a sigh. "Has anything dramatic and exciting taken place during my absence?" He asked purposefully switching the subject on her again.
"Actually," Hermione began, enthusiastically. "I think you might want to know about this..."
* * *
Sirius was sure that by now he had made a dent in the floor of the shrieking shack with all his constant pacing. But today he was even more worried than he had been for the last several years.
Harry didn't know about the birds and the bees! Harry Potter, son of James (who, of course, knew PLENTY about that line of work), and Sirius's own godson, had never had...you know...THE talk. It was just so wrong! How could a seventeen-year-old boy have reached that age without knowing how girls and boys worked and wear babies came from? Sirius shuddered.
Sirius had been all about taking on his responsibilities as a godfather. He hadn't realized THIS was one of those responsibilities.
Hermione and Kirsten had everything set up in advance, of course. That was one of those eye roll deserving statements. Ron obviously wanted nothing to do with his best friends...education. Sirius could hardly blame him. He tried to imagine asking James were babies come from. It wasn't working so well in his mind.
He jumped, conquering his instinctive urge to flee, when he heard a knock from under the floor in the general area of the trap door. Two long knocks, three short, and then two long again. That was the signal.
Trust Hermione to arrange a specific signal. (That was another one of those eye roll deserving statements.)
Harry's messy black hair was the first thing to appear through the hole in the floor, followed by the lanky form of the Boy Who Lived, himself. He didn't look much different than the last time Sirius had seen him but...it was as if he were an entirely different person. Sirius just couldn't look at him the same way anymore!
Maybe this explained why he hadn't noticed Hermione in the last seven years. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn't worn the little black dress yet, if he didn't have the rudimentary intelligence necessary to appreciate such an ensemble! Sirius shuddered involuntarily once more.
"Hey, Sirius," Harry said, and Sirius jumped at the interruption of his reverie. "What's up? Where have you been?"
"Ireland," Sirius replied easily, "I was at a leprechaun convention hosted by a good friend of mine."
"Right..." Harry replied, looking at Sirius as if he didn't quite accept this exclamation. Sirius bit back his annoyance. Why did no one believe him? It was actually true! He and Brandon had a lot of catching up to do!
"So anyway," Harry continued, "What did you want to talk to me about? Hermione said it was something serious," Harry gave Sirius is full attention.
"Er...it is, actually," Sirius replied uncomfortably. He was mentally cursing Hermione. How in Hades did this become his job? "Harry...I know this is an awkward question..."
"Just blurt it out, it can't be THAT bad," Harry insisted rolling his eyes.
"Harry...what do you know about sex?"
"What?!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening to an alarming size behind his glasses. Sirius flushed and looked down.
"Because, there are certain things a man needs to know about the way the world works—"
"Sirius." Harry interrupted his voice unbelieving.
"What?" Sirius replied. He was annoyed at being interrupted after having such a splendid start.
"Are you trying to give me the birds and the bees talk?" Harry demanded, shaking with suppressed laughter. Sirius reddened with anger and embarrassment.
"What, you know about...about...you know where babies come from?" Sirius finally asked, not wanting to say the "s" word again. Once had been once enough. Again, Sirius felt a shudder coming on.
"Of course I do," Harry laughed, "I'm SEVENTEEN, Sirius, how could you possibly think I was ignorant about boys and girls and... babies?!"
"Hermione said you told Ron storks brought babies!" Sirius explained, realizing how stupid it sounded. Harry looked at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. The situation was really extremely comical.
"So is THAT why he asked? He thought I'd never had The Talk?" Harry demanded, whooping with laughter. Sirius face flushed even more. "Sirius, I was being sarcastic," Harry finally said when he realized it wasn't all a grand prank. "I know about...about the birds and the bees and sex and girls. There, feel better now?"
"Immensely," Sirius conceded, letting out a breath. It was embarrassing, to be sure, but it was also a great deal of pressure off his shoulders.
"I can't believe something so little got blown up into some so big. What in the hell made them reach such a conclusion in the first place, I wonder? What exactly were YOU going to say, anyway?" Harry asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Sirius rolled his own eyes.
"Get out, Potter, before I ground you for being a smart ass."
* * *
Sierra had kept up and undercurrent of eloquent swearing ever since Sirius had arrived. His sudden reappearance was not taken lightly...as he expected. To the sheer annoyance of everyone he had casually declined to answer their incessant questions and kept cracking counterproductive jokes all evening. He had a hell of a lot of nerve in Sierra's opinion.
They had eventually given up trying to worry about him and instead focused on the important task at hand. Tonight was the night. The BIG night. The moment of truth. Everything was going to reach that dramatic climax very, very soon.
Finally, everyone was sent off to carry out their appointed tasks. Sierra was left behind to wait and be the woman...it was decided that this stage of the business was a man's business. She was entirely put out with "the men".
"So...are you nervous?" Sierra asked Sirius after they all had gone.
"Not really...this can't really hurt ME much... are YOU nervous?" Sirius inquired. He had noticed that she kept glancing at the window. And every so often she'd get up and walk around a bit before coming back to sit down and fidget some more.
"Hell yes! This plan is riddled with loopholes! Anything could go wrong and if it does... it's MY ass!"
"You have no faith in the crazy red-haired one?" Sirius questioned with a laugh. "Ah well...Nothing to do but wait and see..."
* * *
There were chirping birds...and sunlight...it was morning...Kirsten forced her eyes to open and glanced at the clock. Only eight-thirty...she was definitely going to sleep in longer than that! It was about four hours ago when the four had finally stopped discussing, arguing, etc. and gone to bed. She rolled over, readjusted, and closed her eyes once more.
Angie slept in too. Why not? It was a Saturday and she could do that. Eventually she got out of bed and then took her time about preparing for the day and carefully choosing some non-upsetting crackers for breakfast. She had forgotten how much being pregnant could suck.
She did some random unpacking, etc. It was nearly time for lunch before she picked up the newspaper. Funny how she hadn't noticed the headline before... It was huge, emblazoned in black letters screaming at her.
Her eyes quickly scanned the page. They saw the headline, but although she could see the printed words and hear the exclamation in her mind, she could not accept the screaming declaration blazoned across the top of the Daily Prophet. Her brain didn't click with the words.
Her hands convulsed, crumpling the paper, distorting the headline that taunted her, echoing through her numb mind. There was no shock or panic or any of the expected emotions. None of those even considered entering her train of thought.
And then, she heard the door opening.
She placed the crinkled paper on the chair behind her as she mechanically forced herself to stand up, her hands steady but her eyes glazed as she approached the door to greet her unexpected visitor.
* * *
By the time Kirsten finally forced herself out of bed half the morning was over. Well...it was actually closer to lunch time. Hermione and Harry were already in the common room, debating on whether or not to actually use the energy it would take to go to breakfast...er...lunch. Kirsten proposed the compromise of waiting for Ron, who appeared a few moments later with a groggy "good morning, where's the grub?"
There was no conversation between the sleepy teenagers, but it was a friendly and comfortable silence that descended between them. Kirsten let out a long, comfortable yawn, and within a minute the other three had done the same. There was something contagious about a yawn, she thought, her groggy mind focusing on the obvious. She smiled...it was looking to be a relaxing day for them. It was nice to sleep in.
The Great Hall was full of chattering students, and the four managed to come out of their stupor long enough to greet everyone else. Kirsten had just poured her drink when the post came pouring in. It was strange that the post would come at this hour...but the four were still too tired to notice. For them, it was their first meal and post wasn't unnatural. The rest of the Hall wasn't so out of it, however.
An owl dropped an upside-down Daily Prophet at Hermione's plate. They all ignored it...they were far too comfortable with their exhaustion to bother reading the news. However, many other students DID read the Prophet as soon as it arrived. Suddenly, the Hall was buzzing with excitement.
"What's got everyone so worked up?" Hermione demanded, as if they were doing it solely to annoy her.
"Dunno," Harry shrugged.
"Something in the Prophet," Ron shrugged. Kirsten, letting curiosity get the better of her, took the paper from Hermione and turned it over so she could read the front page. Her eyes immediately found the headline. It was absolutely impossible to miss. Probably the largest headline for a decade.
Her heart stopped beating and all the chaos around her suddenly faded out of existence. She stared at the paper, her eyes the size of saucers, her hands suddenly shaking. This could not be happening...not now....
"Kirsten?" Ron's voice sounded so far away, even though he was sitting right next to her. "Kirsten, what's wrong?"
She let the paper fall from her hands, seeming to do so in slow motion. She watched as the other three read the headline. Hermione went white as paper, her breath stopping suddenly. Ron blinked, staring in shock. Harry shook his head and whispered something Kirsten couldn't make out, then grabbed Hermione's wrist and held it so tightly his knuckles turned white. Hermione didn't even notice.
Suddenly, as if someone had cast a counter-silencing charm, Kirsten was aware of the world around her.
"About time!" A Ravenclaw yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Three cheers for the Aurors!" Colin Creevey yelled at the top of his lungs, attracting the attention of most of the Hall. "Hip! Hip!"
"Hooray!" a great deal of the student body exclaimed, their faces bright and shining. Kirsten felt as if she were going to throw up. The other three were feeling the same sort of panic.
"Hip! Hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Dumbledore," Ron managed to croak, meeting everyone else's agreeing gaze. And, without further conversation they ran from the hall to the final, resounding cheer of "Hooray!"
* * *
Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore were all having luncheon in Dumbledore's office as they awaited the promised arrival of at least one Alliance member. Each had lapsed into thoughtful consideration of the day's shocking headline...
Sierra Havairhafpvermin finally arrived looking like hell. She mumbled something about hang-over and no sleep before getting right to the point. But, it wasn't long before she was interrupted by four rather distraught teenagers.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Kirsten literally burst into Dumbledore's office. They were nearly hysterical with the day's paper in hand. How on earth could the adult's have forgotten the children would need explanations as well? This concerned them just as much as everyone else.
"Everyone calm down. Explanations are in order," Dumbledore explained quickly relieving at least some of the panic. "I should have warned you immediately," He said, scolding himself as he noticed Hermione's spectral appearance.
"Angie!" Remus cried suddenly. Sierra went even paler as a sinking sense of realization dawned on her. That horrible headline flashed in her mind and a wave of panic surged inside of her.
"She has no idea!" Sierra cried in alarm. Remus and Sierra were already on their feet ready to run all the way to Hogsmeade.
"This was clearly not well thought out," Snape commented sourly from his chair. Sierra turned an icy look upon him. He was always into kicking a person while they were down. Or, in her case, at an emotional breaking point.
"Remus and I will go and explain to her and collect her. Wait here..." She said to the kids who were now looking just as panicked as before. The two swept from the room in unusual haste.
When they reached Hogsmeade the first ominous sign they encountered was the fact that the front door was open. The second ominous sign was the fact that the newspaper lay, slightly twisted up, in the middle of the floor and several pieces of small furniture were upset.
The third ominous sign was the fact that Angie had completely disappeared and she was not at her house.
Further search proved that she was not at the school and she hadn't been seen since yesterday afternoon. If only they hadn't been such idiots. If only they'd have gotten to her earlier.
The headline of the daily prophet screamed the news. And enormous pictures covered the front page. It was all twisted and wrinkled. When Sierra saw it, her body convulsed. It was the headline of the century:
"Sirius Black Found Dead!"
* * *
A/N: I don't trust myself to speak.
A/N: I give up! I'm so sick of writing this chapter! I've read through it at least a dozen times and I'm done!!
I apologize for the depressingly short length of this chapter. I tried hard, but there wasn't anything else I could think of to put in here. However, the things that I did write I'm sure will be satisfying...well, at least, they'll be shocking. I was having a lot of fun with this chapter. Several rather dramatic scenes happen in this chapter. There are some good laughs too. I really think you'll enjoy this one.
I'm sorry about the way the characters are...like Remus, I don't mean to portray him as being a jerk or anything. I really like Remus; he's just a good device to use to create conflict. And, I'm sorry about being so dramatic...it's just so much fun to write.
This chapter is sort of like the setting things up chapter. All these things happen that are just sort of left hanging there and in the next chapter they will be explained...and then, of course, there are some cliff hangers and that sort of thing, too.
And, I will warn you about some swearing. I know there's pretty strong language throughout the story but this chapter is particularly full of those words.
SUMMARY: Well, Angie and Sirius are having relationship issues. Neither wants to commit because their afraid of hurt emotions... On the other end of the spectrum Bill Weasley and Sierra Havairhafpvermin are developing a nice little relationship. What's with the ever changing Founder's room? Let's not forget December seventeenth and it's mystery. And is it possible that Angie is pregnant? You are about to find out very soon.
Thank you so much for reading. This chapter starts the real plot. We're entering the height of action so I hope you're ready because I'm excited, like whoa!! Enjoy!!
* * * "Angela, dear, I don't mean to sound presumptuous or nosy... and I don't mean to offend you, dear. But, would it be possible that you are pregnant?"
The effect of this simple, nervously asked question was absolutely astonishing. Angie felt like an entire building was crashing down upon her. Her vision went black for a moment and every particle in her body was focused on that one paralyzing thought. She saw a picture of Sirius, young, suave, and eighteen, laughing of course, flash in her mind and her body went rigid.
She shook herself and laughed in a strangled high-pitched way. "Of course not! At my age?" She replied nervously. Madame Pomfrey added her own hesitant laugh.
"Perhaps you had better make an appointment at St. Mungo's. I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with you...Just to be on the safe side."
"That's nonsense," Angie insisted. "Give this thing a week or two and it will all go away." She was in a state of blatant denial at this point. She was convinced her so called illness was all in her mind.
"I'll make you the appointment for one week anyway. If you're better by then, we'll cancel the appointment. If not, promise me that you will go," Madame Pomfrey said, her face grave.
"Yes, I'll go..." Angie quietly acquiesced.
Seemingly satisfied Madame Pomprey started to take a few steps but then stopped and turned back around. "Shall I let the Professor in now?"
"Oh no...please...not now," Angie said, slowly lying back against the pillows. The last thing Angie wanted was an interrogation when her mind was in this panicked state.
"You look troubled dear. Let me just get you something to help you relax... Here you go. A good, solid sleep will do you good."
Angie only eyed the stuff for a moment before she decided sleep would be better than the torture her mind would put her through. She gulped the stuff and closed her eyes. She could already feel her mind getting fuzzy. "Please...tell Remus that I'm OK, I'm just going to take a rest and I'll see him later..."
"All right dear," Madame Pomfrey said closing the hangings around her bed.
~*~
Remus went as quickly as he could to the house in Hogsmeade. He knew Sirius would have himself worked into a terrible state by now. He was so melodramatic. That look of sheer panic he'd had earlier was extremely suspicious...
Shaking the thought, which was no doubt a product of an overactive imagination; from his head he approached the house. He burst through the front door where Sirius was lying in wait for him.
"And the diagnosis is?" Remus wasn't deceived by the cool tone and casual style of the question; for one, Sirius's hands were clenched into tight fists.
Sirius had sat seething with anger and frustration at his position. Remus shouldn't have been the one to take her to the hospital wing. He should be there right now. The thought of Remus sitting next to her and holding her hand suddenly made Sirius sick.
He couldn't figure out what his problem was. Remus was a good guy, a good friend, he wasn't trying to make trouble or hurt anyone. That didn't stop Sirius from being jealous and it certainly didn't stop him from being extremely pissed off.
"Madame Pomfrey gave her some medication. She's resting now but everything is going to be OK." Remus explained.
"OK? What was wrong with her?"
"She didn't say..." Remus replied uneasily.
"What do you mean she didn't say?" Sirius pressed. Remus could see the fire in his eyes from across the room.
"All she said was that Angie will make a full recovery and that she was sleeping. I never even got to see her." Sirius snapped his teeth together and turned on his heel. He was extremely vexed but was desperately trying to control his temper. It really wasn't Remus' fault he didn't know any more than that. "Sirius, don't try and do anything stupid. She will be fine."
Sirius turned blazing eyes on Remus. "Why does everyone think I'm a bloody idiot!? I understand better than any of you the risks and the repercussions of said risks. Stop telling me what to do!"
"Apologies, Sirius. I'm merely pointing out the fact that Angie isn't the only person I'm concerned about." Remus replied mildly. He was trying to get control of the situation.
"Well you needn't waste time on me!" Sirius snapped. He let his temper get the better of him when he added, "By the way, Sierra's left you for a younger man."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Remus shouted, losing his cool as well.
"It means you're not the only one who can give a person the run-around." Sirius bared his teeth in an unsightly manner.
"Don't try and make me feel guilty," Remus said, standing up for himself. He felt like he was getting a rather raw deal, here. "The only reason I haven't broke things off with Angie is out of concern for her. I don't want to hurt her feelings or mess up our friendship."
"Funny, she says the same thing about you," Sirius vaguely realized he was saying too much but he was beyond the point of self-control. He was also beyond the point of caring.
Remus paused and let the statement sink in. He took a calming breath and then, "The two of you have discussed our relationship?"
"Don't try and put me on the defensive," Sirius snapped.
"Not at all," Remus retorted sarcastically. "Why don't you just say it? You can't get over her. You hate the fact that she's with me now!" With a sudden jolt in the brain Remus realized that this was starting to sound hauntingly familiar to arguments they might have said back in school. At any rate, it was rather a rather immature thing for him to say. There was nothing he could do now, and besides, he was really getting into the spirit of things. He was tired of Sirius moping around and complaining and expecting everyone else to help him out.
"You're the one who just said you've been looking for the right time to break it off!" Sirius countered.
"You're still in love with her Sirius, but you know you can't have her! That's it, isn't it?" Remus suddenly felt as if he had been sitting in transfiguration class for a few weeks and he had just discovered the key that allowed everything they had been studying to make perfect sense. Several things locked into place at once.
"Of course I'm bloody in love with her! I'll never get over her. I can't stand the fact that you're with her and I can't do a god damn thing about it because I'm a fugitive and the bloody world is against me! Are you satisfied, Remus?" Sirius exploded.
Remus was very silent for a long period of time. When he spoke next it was in a much more controlled voice. "You should have said something Sirius."
"Why? What the hell good would it have done?"
"I'm not sure...but at least you wouldn't be bothered by the fact that I..."
"Never mind, Remus...never mind."
"No, Sirius. I think you should tell her how you feel."
"I fucking married her! What the hell else do I have to do!?... I need a bloody drink." He turned and made his way toward the kitchen. Remus stood rooted to the spot. Talk about sudden and surprising shock.
Remus found Sirius in the kitchen banging around in the cupboards. He'd located a bottle was looking for a glass...apparently. "You want to explain to me what the hell you just said?" Remus asked with as much politeness as the situation allowed him to muster.
Sirius had abandoned all hope for a glass and threw back a shot straight from the bottle. "No," He replied hoarsely.
"Damn it Sirius—" Remus shouted but Sirius still managed to yell over him.
"You want to know why I wasn't at James's house getting blown up like the rest of them on Halloween? Angie and I were married that night. And without as much as a word she turns around and gets married to Joshua Thompson. But you know, I've even gotten over that enough to forgive. So, New Year's Eve she decides that she's ready to forget too. Except, for some reason...the next morning I'm telling her a relationship would never work. And now, here I am, getting drunk and wondering what the hell is the point?"
"Sirius..."
"Get the hell out of here... I said get out!"
* * *
It was terrible weather. The wind was blowing at impossible speeds and the ground was being covered by a nasty sleet. When Angie found the letter it had begun to hail.
"Angela,
I've decided that I can't take any more of this. If I can't have everything, nothing is better. This is absolute torture beyond the hell of Azkaban. I can't even explain...I'm going away. Please, don't try to contact me...give it some time, at least..."
There were several words crossed out in heavy black ink...and he hadn't even bothered to sign his name.
* * *
Remus was sitting at his desk, bogged down by loads of parchment, and yet, he was staring into the depths of the fire. It was Monday. Angie had stayed at her house...out sick...and Sirius's words stuck in his mind. A soft knock brought him back to the present. It was Sierra.
"Evening, Sierra," Remus said, not bothering to rise.
"Hi, Remus," She said, taking a seat opposite him. She looked nervous. He wondered if that was only because he knew what was coming. "I know what you're going to say, Sierra," He said, before she could begin.
"You do...?" Sierra asked, looking up questioningly.
"I think it's for the best...don't you?"
"Well...yes...I suppose. I mean, what were we really doing anyway?"
"Just having fun," Remus said with a shrug. She agreed with a smile.
"How did you...?" Sierra wondered allowed, trying to process the situation.
"Sirius got a little heated the other night and told me some things he probably shouldn't have..." Remus explained matter-of-factly.
"Sirius was talking about Bill and me?" Sierra said. Remus detected a note of panic in her voice.
"That wasn't the primary focus of conversation but he mentioned something. He was a little vague on the details though. You wouldn't be talking about Bill Weasley?" Remus asked, raising a provocative eye brow.
"You say a word, you die..." Sierra realized only too late that she was doing exactly the thing Sirius said she would do. She was the one worried what other people would thing of her younger man. This was a very backward feeling to her; usually she was the one telling people what they were doing...not the other way around.
"So...how's Bill's big idea coming along?" Remus questioned, politely steering the topic of conversation away from an obviously sensitive issue. He was still grinning amusedly, however.
"We're nearly ready...two weeks maybe..."
"Wow... That's good. Sirius really needs a break."
"A break?" Sierra questioned, her eye brows drawing together slightly.
"Yeah...like I said...he was a little heated." Remus replied vaguely.
"Oh no...he's not still steaming about Angie is he? I've been trying to tell him—"
"You know about Sirius and Angie?" Remus interrupted. He was suddenly leaning forward.
"Uh...what exactly do you mean?" Sierra was worried that she might slip again. Twice in the span of a week...that wouldn't look so good. Although, Sirius had slipped up about her and Bill. That was always a good counter- attack; Sierra thought rapidly.
"Oh...well, he's crazy about her, you know," Remus replied, wondering just how much Sierra "knew". He eased himself back into his chair.
"Yeah...it's sort of pathetic really..." She replied slowly.
"It doesn't help that Angie was in the hospital wing two days ago. Sorry—I didn't mean to spring it on you like that. She's OK...at least, last I heard. She went back to her house yesterday. Madame Pomfrey released her and said she'd be all right."
"Well...what happened?" Sierra cried. Maybe she'd been spending a little too much time in Paris.
"She's been rather sick to her stomach lately. And Valentine's Day she fainted. Right into Sirius's arms," Remus added and Sierra detected a particularly sour note in his tone. "She seemed to be fine though. Maybe you should go check on her..."
"Yeah...I had better..." Sierra said rising. Remus did as well. They contemplated each other awkwardly for a moment. "Well."
"Well."
"Good-bye, Remus," Sierra said thrusting out her hand. Grinning they shook, and then Sierra departed for Angie's.
As the door closed the one word that came to Remus' mind was: random.
* * *
That night Sierra went out to Hogsmeade. The house was dark when she knocked brusquely on the front door. She waited for what seemed like several minutes before the door opened. Angie was bathed in a strange half- light that made her look deathly pale. Sierra was comforted by the fact that she was smiling.
It wasn't until Sierra got inside that she realized that it wasn't really a smile...and it was NOT comforting. The visit was the most unpleasant experience in Sierra's life. That eerie forced smile and unshakable cordiality made her skin crawl.
Angie said that she was better and she would be back to school the next day. She assured Sierra that nothing had happened, that nothing was going on. It was like Angie was pushing her away, telling her she didn't need anyone. But that creepy smile was a clear indication of internal suffering. Something more than a sickness was going on.
Angie was hiding something. Inside she must have been an emotionally ripped mess. Sierra would have bet a good amount of money that Sirius had something to do with it...
When she left Angie told her to have a nice evening. Sierra shivered.
Immediately Sierra went to Bill's. By the time she arrived she was rather distraught. "Where's Sirius? Have you seen or heard from him lately?" She cried the second she had entered.
"Good Lord, what happened?" Bill said, giving a violent start and rushing to her. She was breathing hard, her hair was askew and her face was flushed. The sight was enough to cause anyone's blood pressure to spike.
"Sirius...where—?"
"I don't know...I haven't heard from him in a couple of days. Have you checked at Nikki's?" Bill suggested.
"No, I was just going to go there..."
"Have you checked at his wife's?" Bill said, cracking a grin. So far the situation didn't seem to be as bad as Sierra looked.
"That's not funny!" Sierra snapped. "I just came from there...and oh...it was so horrible..."
"Is she all right?" Bill cried, taking Sierra by the shoulders. Perhaps he had underestimated Sierra.
"Yes...no...I don't know. She's been ill lately and so I went by to check on her. Something terrible has happened, but I don't know what. She had this creepy smile and she was the nicest possible person she could be. I know I'm sounding crazy but that wasn't Angie. I've seen that rigid smile before. My daughter, when I first met her. That's how she tried to cope with her parents being murdered. Bill, there is nothing worse than that smile. I promise you I am not over reacting." She shivered again.
"And you think this has something to do with Sirius?" Bill questioned, just to make sure he accurately understood the situation.
"I don't know...he might know something at the very least."
"OK, well, we'll go to Nikki's and if he's not there we'll try and contact him," Bill said, trying to be comforting. Sierra nodded; there didn't seem to be any other options at the moment.
"Let's hurry," She said, helping him into his cloak. As they made their way to Nikki's, Sierra kept extremely close to Bill. "I hate coming here at night," She whispered to him. He answered with a reassuring squeeze of her hand.
Once inside it was plain to see that Sirius was nowhere to be found. Nikki hadn't heard from him any more recently than Bill had. "It's OK. We'll just send word out. Sierra...are you crying?" Bill pulled her close to him and the tears came.
"I'm sorry. This sometimes happens. People tell me things about their problems and I can't do anything about it. Or I know someone is disturbed and..." She had to break off. Sometimes she hated being a psychiatrist. Not that that fact had much to do with the current situation. "I'll be OK in a minute."
"It doesn't matter. Just let it out," He told her soothingly.
* * *
"Ron, you've got to go and talk to Harry," Kirsten urged him, her eyes wide. Hermione nodded vigorously. "This is a serious issue."
Ron rose without a word. He had a set look about him as if he was about to face certain death. He made a slow and deliberate walk across the common room toward Harry. The girls watched as Ron sat down next to Harry. They exchanged pleasantries.
"So...what's up? Did you want to ask me something?" Harry asked his friend. Poor Harry, he had no idea what was going on.
"Well...see Harry...I..." Ron stumbled around for the right words. This was a damnably awkward conversation. "Harry, where do babies come from?" Ron blurted out suddenly. Harry gave him a very odd look.
"From the stork, Ron..." Harry replied and Ron was too busy panicking to catch the sarcasm. Harry had rolled his eyes and gone back to his homework. Ron rose slowly and made that similar slow walk across the common room. His face was fixed into that panicked, shocked look and he was as pale as if he'd just seen a ghost. All that was missing was the hair standing on end. Hermione and Kirsten were waiting apprehensively.
"What happened?" Kirsten squealed.
"Ron, what's going on?" Hermione demanded.
Slowly taking his seat Ron replied in a far-off voice. "He said the stork brings babies..." He looked as if he couldn't believe it.
"Oh God..." Hermione replied, Kirsten had sworn under her breath.
"This could be a problem..." Ron remarked, still distantly.
* * *
Remus was supposed to grading papers. This was the story of his life, it seemed. Somehow his mind had wandered though...the fire was burning low and the light was rather dim...too dim, in fact, to grade papers. However, this didn't matter much as he had given up all hope of being productive long before now.
His mind focused on his friends...Sierra...Sirius...Angie... With a little chuckle he realized things were not much different nowadays then they had been all those years ago when they were still young and in school... Still...much had changed since then too. Not just the people...the world was different.
Just about the time he decided to give up for the night there was a soft knock at his office door. Before he had time to respond the door was opening and Holly Mischel was entering. She was clutching a letter in one hand and the sides of her cloak in the other. Her eyes lit up when she saw him and she smiled.
"Working hard?" Holly questioned, taking the seat on the opposite side of his desk.
"I think I was nearly asleep," He admitted.
"Well, wake up; I don't know how long I can stay."
"Speaking of that, what are you doing here?" Remus asked, suddenly realizing that this was Hogwarts and that it was February and it was a school day and here was Holly Mischel, a regular witch, a working person.
"What a silly question. I came to see you!" She said, a little sarcastically, adding a wink to her statement. "Actually, that's only a half-truth. I do have a reason for wanting to see you, I mean, other than the usual 'I need Remus' reason. And also other than the fact that I was just at the ministry and they sent, with me, a letter for you," She said, tossing the letter on his desk.
"You left out the part about how I'm so irresistibly handsome," Remus reminded her. He was grinning amusedly at her, his eyes twinkling.
"I wonder how that slipped my mind..." Holly wondered allowed. "I suppose I'll pay for that slip... But seriously, I wanted to talk to you about the recent attacks. Being part of the Order and the Alliance I'm sure you know more than what they've been putting in the papers."
"Well, sure, but...I'm not going to be able to shed any light on the subject. If you were just at the ministry presumably you're in a position to know more than I do."
"The latest then," Holly said, "In two different sites of 'disturbance' they've found the Slytherin crest emblazoned. They're thinking a new cult of some sort has formed. The problem is the IAA has the spies in the underworld, because a lot of the underworld activity takes place in other countries. We've got our own underworld contacts... but, so far, the ministry can't decide the situation of You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters.
"The damn IAA is avoiding Fudge at all costs. Not that Fudge was going to volunteer any of our information anyway. Elizabeth is just being a bitch about the whole affair. The thing they're really worried about is the fate of the carbonated crystal. If there is a new terrorist group and they've got a hold of this crystal...well, we don't know them like we know the Death Eaters. We may be facing a whole new age of terror from an entirely different enemy," Holly explained her face appropriately grave and lined.
"But they have absolutely no names so far?" Remus questioned.
"Not that I could find out...but, I don't have an overly impressive amount of importance in the department," She admitted.
"This only confuses the situation more... Do they think the lights going out on the seventeenth in Diagon Alley had anything to do with the crystal?"
"They don't know. That's part of the reason I came here. I was hoping to talk to Dumbledore and possibly see what kind of literature I can dig up at this library on the crystal. I know the founders invented it, here, in this castle, as a defense mechanism, but we don't really know all of its capabilities. I didn't want to wake Dumbledore though...and I didn't find you in your room...it's getting late you know..."
"I suppose it is..." Remus said absently. Holly suddenly changed her tone of voice abruptly.
"Aren't you going to open your letter? It's all official and everything!" Remus rolled his eyes and picked up the rather thick envelope. It did indeed have an official seal...more than one in fact.
He ripped open the envelope and Holly studied his face as his eyes scanned the words. He had barely begun to read before he did a double-take. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he continued to read at a rapid pace. Holly leaned forward in her chair, feeling eager at his expression. "Christ...there must be some mistake," He muttered.
When he got to the end, he stopped, picked up his wand, lit a candle on his desk, and read the letter again. The second time he finished he swallowed audibly and then carefully folded up the paper, put it in the ripped envelope and then in an inside pocket of his robes.
He took a deep breath and met the inquisitive gaze of Holly, who had perched herself on the edge of her chair. Her chestnut hair fell softly around her face; her lips were moist and slightly parted. Her eyes reflected the flames from the fire place. "Are you going to tell me what was in that letter or are you going to leave it up to my overactive imagination?"
"The former, I believe," He replied. Then, with a faint smile, he stood up and walked around his desk to her. She remained seated, but he took each of her hands in his and spoke very clearly. "Holly, will you marry me?" There was a definite pause before,
"WHAT!?" She cried. "Where the hell did that come from...Remus...what...?"
"Why should I have to explain," He said with a shrug. "I should have asked you years ago..."
"Are you serious?" Remus threw his head back and laughed. He pulled her to her feet and looked her directly in the eye.
"Yes, I want to marry you. I love you." Holly just stood, stock still, not moving, not speaking, not blinking...possibly not even breathing. "Speak...please," Remus said hopefully.
"What is there to say? That pretty much sums it up," She replied, in a distant voice.
"True, but you could answer my question."
"Question?" She echoed blankly. "Oh right! That question...I mean! That question! Yes! Of course! I...yes! I love you too!" There was a brief interlude where the now engaged couple displayed their affectionate emotions for one another. "Sorry about the delayed reaction..." Holly remarked. "You just....shocked me. But...what was in that letter? It obviously caused a drastic reaction."
Remus pulled out the letter in question and spread it out on his desk. Holly read in shocked silence the official words on the page.
Remus had just inherited a small...well, nice-sized, fortune.
* * *
Just as Harry was resigning himself to a relatively calm and normal year of school he had to wind up here. The current definition of 'here' was at best obscure. Currently, he was staring down his nose at an enigma. Well...it was clearly a ring...but it was still a mystery.
Here he was, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, smack in the middle of a room so obviously pro-Slytherin. It was as if Harry had stepped into a time warp and was now in the midst of the middle ages. The castle itself seemed to transform just by Harry stepping into this room.
And somehow, he had stumbled upon this ring. The ring was an object of beauty. That ring was a spectacular piece of craftsmanship and it literally radiated power. Power that Harry was drawn toward.
The problem with the ring was it wasn't really a ring. It looked like a ring. But the center was solid...except that you could see through it... an enigma. When he tried to put his finger through the band, he was stopped as if it were a solid circle. He tried to stick a quill through it to no avail.
The room had other interesting things inside of it as well. The room itself was an enigma. It had a haunting light to it and a dreadfully cold temperature. Still, after being in that room for a few seconds there was no doubt that Salazar Slytherin had been a genius of men.
His desk was littered with notebooks and diagrams and notes and incantations. All around the place there was a curious assortment of queer looking objects. Harry looked around at the forgotten cauldrons.
The man must have been a genius. He had the makings of a laboratory here, centuries before the concept had been invented. It was clear the room was long dead now. Nothing stirred and the air was heavy. But it wasn't difficult to imagine, to see and to hear, what the room must have been like at the prime of Slytherin's lifetime.
Harry kept wandering around thinking...why me? Why had he come upon this room? What did it mean... and always that ring was on his mind. It was now safely in his pocket waiting to have it's mysteries solved.
Eventually Harry reached the empty grate in the fireplace and stood staring in deep contemplation. He had a haunting recollection of his first year and the sorting hat whispering to him. He shuddered and turned his back to the empty grate.
Harry got the queerest feeling of being watched and the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. All of the sudden he thought he heard the echoing of a far off scream and the goose bumps rose.
Harry suddenly felt compelled to get away from the dead calm of the room. He left, taking the ring with him.
* * *
It had been five days since Angie had found Sirius's letter. Five days... Tomorrow she had an appointment in London. Tomorrow was the moment of truth. She knew what was going to happen tomorrow...and when she needed him most he was gone...
~*~
Angie returned to the house the next evening with a heavy heart. It was true, she was seven weeks pregnant. She slumped down onto the nearest piece of furniture and wept, wondering how the hell something like this could happen.
Angie slipped into complete emotional despair. She loved Sirius, she had always loved Sirius but there was not a damn thing that she could do about it. He was a convicted murderer. They were both emotional wrecks...and now...now he was gone...probably for good.
For the first time in a long time she found herself thinking of all the "what-ifs".
What if Sirius had proposed to her before she met Josh? What if she wouldn't have gone to quidditch world cup that year? What if Sirius would have fought for her? What if Sirius hadn't had been such a jerk about the night she got pregnant? What if Sirius had been James and Lily's secret keeper?
What if she really did kill herself?
Remus had gotten up his nerve to finally go and see Angie. Sierra had been telling him something was wrong but he wasn't sure how he would react when he was alone with her. He was still reeling from the shock of previous enlightenment.
He found her, red-rimmed eyes and all. She said only. "He's gone Remus," before she broke down again. Next to her, on the table he found the piece of parchment with Sirius's last words.
"Oh God," He whispered. "Not now...we're so close... I'm going to go find him Angie," Remus said, his jaw set. Angie was too distraught to even reply but Remus left the house hastily, taking the letter with him.
He begged entrance into Sierra's mansion for nearly an hour before she finally saw him and let him in. Before she even had a chance to speak to him he brandished the letter at her. The color drained from her face and for a moment she thought she might actually faint. Then, silently, and efficiently she put on her traveling cloak.
Together they went to Paris.
They interrupted a little de-briefing that Bill was giving. An assorted group of Alliance members were present as he was explaining the logistics of his "plan". They were only days away.
The group was all silent and somber faced as the letter was passed around. "I was the last person to talk to him," Remus explained. "When I saw him, he was raving mad and throwing back liquor."
"Everyone has bad days," Mundungus Fletcher said matter-of-factly. "And he's got more reason to have them than the rest of us."
"This is deeper than you realize," Remus said. "Angela and Sirius were married the night Lily and James were murdered."
Everything went deathly still.
"How do you know that, Remus?" Sierra asked quietly.
"He shouted it at me the last time I saw him. The last thing he said to me before throwing me out was 'what the hell is the point?'."
"Jesus Christ," Sierra replied running a nervous hand across her face. It was a good thing she didn't have any doctor's appointments in the near future. Her stress level was unbelievable and her blood pressure had probably settled itself at an abnormally high level.
"Sierra and I have been trying to find him for over a week now...without any success," Bill said gravely.
The meeting wrapped up rather quickly despite the fact that other Alliance members were desperately trying to get explanations on Angie and Sirius' history. Remus, Sierra, Bill, Nikki, and, suspiciously, Holly stayed around and discussed the situation for a while. It was finally decided that Sierra would go to the school and ask the kids if they had heard from Sirius. Remus was rather skeptical of this plan but Sierra had hope that he had written Hermione.
~*~
Sierra summoned Ron, Hermione, and Harry to her office. She was worked up enough to get right to the point. "Have any of you seen or heard from Sirius in the past week?" The three exchanged a brief look but all answers were the same.
"Haven't talked to him for quite a while," Harry replied.
"Hermione?" Sierra asked hopefully. She shook her head.
"It's been well over a week," She told her mother.
Sierra had been so sure that Sirius would have written something to Hermione that the negative response caused something close to a panic inside her. Tears gathered in her eyes and she bit her lip. "I was afraid of that," She choked out before she totally broke down.
The three again exchanged various looks of alarm. "Has something happened?" Harry exclaimed.
Sierra pulled herself into a relatively collected state and attempted to explain to the confused looks of the children. "The last anyone saw of him he was in quite a state of agitation... or depression... and coupled with a good amount of alcohol he may have... We have other reasons to suspicion..." Sierra broke off. She wasn't able to complete that thought, especially not to the kids. "We've been trying to locate him for over a week now..." She added miserably.
"I'm sure he's fine," Hermione insisted. "He's probably just gone away for a while..." She said, though she sounded as if she were convincing herself more than doing anything else. The particular set of her mouth and the nervous movements of her hands betrayed her attempt at coolness. The fact was this was disturbing news no matter how you looked at it.
"Oh...I know you're right. I was just so sure that he would have sent you a letter... He must come back though....he must," Sierra said.
Everyone was too absorbed in their own thoughts to ask Sierra to explain further. Each person was wondering where in the world Sirius Black could be?
* * *
In the wake of everything that was happening Holly and Remus decided to keep their engagement and his sudden coming into money on the down low for a while. Of course, that didn't stop them from enjoying one another's company.
It was crazy, really. They had been dating on and off for well over a decade and were never serious about it. In fact, they weren't even technically dating when he sort of sprung the question on her. But, it just felt right to them.
* * *
"Do you have ANY idea the worry you've caused? I have never seen my mother cry before but she was really upset about you! She's going to murder you—I swear! Where have you been? Why would you just leave without telling anyone? WHAT is your problem?" Hermione ranted until she ran out of breath. Sirius was casually leaning against a tree in an unnerving manner.
"You didn't wear a little black dress," Sirius pointed out in a mildly disappointed tone. Hermione gave him an exasperated look. The man was entirely missing the point. She felt like screaming at him.
"You don't deserve that privilege," She snapped.
"Ouch!" Sirius replied.
"Were you even listening to me?" Hermione demanded, annoyed.
"Yes, yes," Sirius said hastily in an off-hand manner. "But it's going to be very difficult to answer all those questions since you asked them all in one breath."
"Didn't you get the letters my mother sent you?" Hermione said, rather than letting him answer some of the previously asked questions, she decided to ask a completely new one.
"Oh yes," Sirius said dryly. "All those bloody owls, you'd think she was TRYING to get me caught!"
"Why didn't you respond?" Hermione demanded. Sirius shrugged. "Is that all you can do? You have—"
"Hermione!" Sirius snapped, completely cutting her off. He was at the end of his short fuse. "I needed to work some things out, OK? And I didn't come here to get reprimanded. I came to see you because I knew I'd get enough of THAT from everyone else. I mean, for goodness sakes, I went away for a couple of days...I used to go away for months without a word and without the whole world getting ulcers!"
"OK, ok. You're safe and that's the important thing," Hermione ignored Sirius's eye roll. It did sound like a rather motherly thing to say. "Where did you go?"
"I went to Ireland."
"Ireland? Why?"
"I went to visit my friend Brandon Fishwick, if you must know." Sirius informed her with an arrogant air.
"Are you going to see my mother?" Hermione questioned, nearly reverting back to the previous subject.
"Eventually...I mean, it's inevitable," Sirius said with a sigh. "Has anything dramatic and exciting taken place during my absence?" He asked purposefully switching the subject on her again.
"Actually," Hermione began, enthusiastically. "I think you might want to know about this..."
* * *
Sirius was sure that by now he had made a dent in the floor of the shrieking shack with all his constant pacing. But today he was even more worried than he had been for the last several years.
Harry didn't know about the birds and the bees! Harry Potter, son of James (who, of course, knew PLENTY about that line of work), and Sirius's own godson, had never had...you know...THE talk. It was just so wrong! How could a seventeen-year-old boy have reached that age without knowing how girls and boys worked and wear babies came from? Sirius shuddered.
Sirius had been all about taking on his responsibilities as a godfather. He hadn't realized THIS was one of those responsibilities.
Hermione and Kirsten had everything set up in advance, of course. That was one of those eye roll deserving statements. Ron obviously wanted nothing to do with his best friends...education. Sirius could hardly blame him. He tried to imagine asking James were babies come from. It wasn't working so well in his mind.
He jumped, conquering his instinctive urge to flee, when he heard a knock from under the floor in the general area of the trap door. Two long knocks, three short, and then two long again. That was the signal.
Trust Hermione to arrange a specific signal. (That was another one of those eye roll deserving statements.)
Harry's messy black hair was the first thing to appear through the hole in the floor, followed by the lanky form of the Boy Who Lived, himself. He didn't look much different than the last time Sirius had seen him but...it was as if he were an entirely different person. Sirius just couldn't look at him the same way anymore!
Maybe this explained why he hadn't noticed Hermione in the last seven years. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn't worn the little black dress yet, if he didn't have the rudimentary intelligence necessary to appreciate such an ensemble! Sirius shuddered involuntarily once more.
"Hey, Sirius," Harry said, and Sirius jumped at the interruption of his reverie. "What's up? Where have you been?"
"Ireland," Sirius replied easily, "I was at a leprechaun convention hosted by a good friend of mine."
"Right..." Harry replied, looking at Sirius as if he didn't quite accept this exclamation. Sirius bit back his annoyance. Why did no one believe him? It was actually true! He and Brandon had a lot of catching up to do!
"So anyway," Harry continued, "What did you want to talk to me about? Hermione said it was something serious," Harry gave Sirius is full attention.
"Er...it is, actually," Sirius replied uncomfortably. He was mentally cursing Hermione. How in Hades did this become his job? "Harry...I know this is an awkward question..."
"Just blurt it out, it can't be THAT bad," Harry insisted rolling his eyes.
"Harry...what do you know about sex?"
"What?!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening to an alarming size behind his glasses. Sirius flushed and looked down.
"Because, there are certain things a man needs to know about the way the world works—"
"Sirius." Harry interrupted his voice unbelieving.
"What?" Sirius replied. He was annoyed at being interrupted after having such a splendid start.
"Are you trying to give me the birds and the bees talk?" Harry demanded, shaking with suppressed laughter. Sirius reddened with anger and embarrassment.
"What, you know about...about...you know where babies come from?" Sirius finally asked, not wanting to say the "s" word again. Once had been once enough. Again, Sirius felt a shudder coming on.
"Of course I do," Harry laughed, "I'm SEVENTEEN, Sirius, how could you possibly think I was ignorant about boys and girls and... babies?!"
"Hermione said you told Ron storks brought babies!" Sirius explained, realizing how stupid it sounded. Harry looked at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. The situation was really extremely comical.
"So is THAT why he asked? He thought I'd never had The Talk?" Harry demanded, whooping with laughter. Sirius face flushed even more. "Sirius, I was being sarcastic," Harry finally said when he realized it wasn't all a grand prank. "I know about...about the birds and the bees and sex and girls. There, feel better now?"
"Immensely," Sirius conceded, letting out a breath. It was embarrassing, to be sure, but it was also a great deal of pressure off his shoulders.
"I can't believe something so little got blown up into some so big. What in the hell made them reach such a conclusion in the first place, I wonder? What exactly were YOU going to say, anyway?" Harry asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Sirius rolled his own eyes.
"Get out, Potter, before I ground you for being a smart ass."
* * *
Sierra had kept up and undercurrent of eloquent swearing ever since Sirius had arrived. His sudden reappearance was not taken lightly...as he expected. To the sheer annoyance of everyone he had casually declined to answer their incessant questions and kept cracking counterproductive jokes all evening. He had a hell of a lot of nerve in Sierra's opinion.
They had eventually given up trying to worry about him and instead focused on the important task at hand. Tonight was the night. The BIG night. The moment of truth. Everything was going to reach that dramatic climax very, very soon.
Finally, everyone was sent off to carry out their appointed tasks. Sierra was left behind to wait and be the woman...it was decided that this stage of the business was a man's business. She was entirely put out with "the men".
"So...are you nervous?" Sierra asked Sirius after they all had gone.
"Not really...this can't really hurt ME much... are YOU nervous?" Sirius inquired. He had noticed that she kept glancing at the window. And every so often she'd get up and walk around a bit before coming back to sit down and fidget some more.
"Hell yes! This plan is riddled with loopholes! Anything could go wrong and if it does... it's MY ass!"
"You have no faith in the crazy red-haired one?" Sirius questioned with a laugh. "Ah well...Nothing to do but wait and see..."
* * *
There were chirping birds...and sunlight...it was morning...Kirsten forced her eyes to open and glanced at the clock. Only eight-thirty...she was definitely going to sleep in longer than that! It was about four hours ago when the four had finally stopped discussing, arguing, etc. and gone to bed. She rolled over, readjusted, and closed her eyes once more.
Angie slept in too. Why not? It was a Saturday and she could do that. Eventually she got out of bed and then took her time about preparing for the day and carefully choosing some non-upsetting crackers for breakfast. She had forgotten how much being pregnant could suck.
She did some random unpacking, etc. It was nearly time for lunch before she picked up the newspaper. Funny how she hadn't noticed the headline before... It was huge, emblazoned in black letters screaming at her.
Her eyes quickly scanned the page. They saw the headline, but although she could see the printed words and hear the exclamation in her mind, she could not accept the screaming declaration blazoned across the top of the Daily Prophet. Her brain didn't click with the words.
Her hands convulsed, crumpling the paper, distorting the headline that taunted her, echoing through her numb mind. There was no shock or panic or any of the expected emotions. None of those even considered entering her train of thought.
And then, she heard the door opening.
She placed the crinkled paper on the chair behind her as she mechanically forced herself to stand up, her hands steady but her eyes glazed as she approached the door to greet her unexpected visitor.
* * *
By the time Kirsten finally forced herself out of bed half the morning was over. Well...it was actually closer to lunch time. Hermione and Harry were already in the common room, debating on whether or not to actually use the energy it would take to go to breakfast...er...lunch. Kirsten proposed the compromise of waiting for Ron, who appeared a few moments later with a groggy "good morning, where's the grub?"
There was no conversation between the sleepy teenagers, but it was a friendly and comfortable silence that descended between them. Kirsten let out a long, comfortable yawn, and within a minute the other three had done the same. There was something contagious about a yawn, she thought, her groggy mind focusing on the obvious. She smiled...it was looking to be a relaxing day for them. It was nice to sleep in.
The Great Hall was full of chattering students, and the four managed to come out of their stupor long enough to greet everyone else. Kirsten had just poured her drink when the post came pouring in. It was strange that the post would come at this hour...but the four were still too tired to notice. For them, it was their first meal and post wasn't unnatural. The rest of the Hall wasn't so out of it, however.
An owl dropped an upside-down Daily Prophet at Hermione's plate. They all ignored it...they were far too comfortable with their exhaustion to bother reading the news. However, many other students DID read the Prophet as soon as it arrived. Suddenly, the Hall was buzzing with excitement.
"What's got everyone so worked up?" Hermione demanded, as if they were doing it solely to annoy her.
"Dunno," Harry shrugged.
"Something in the Prophet," Ron shrugged. Kirsten, letting curiosity get the better of her, took the paper from Hermione and turned it over so she could read the front page. Her eyes immediately found the headline. It was absolutely impossible to miss. Probably the largest headline for a decade.
Her heart stopped beating and all the chaos around her suddenly faded out of existence. She stared at the paper, her eyes the size of saucers, her hands suddenly shaking. This could not be happening...not now....
"Kirsten?" Ron's voice sounded so far away, even though he was sitting right next to her. "Kirsten, what's wrong?"
She let the paper fall from her hands, seeming to do so in slow motion. She watched as the other three read the headline. Hermione went white as paper, her breath stopping suddenly. Ron blinked, staring in shock. Harry shook his head and whispered something Kirsten couldn't make out, then grabbed Hermione's wrist and held it so tightly his knuckles turned white. Hermione didn't even notice.
Suddenly, as if someone had cast a counter-silencing charm, Kirsten was aware of the world around her.
"About time!" A Ravenclaw yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Three cheers for the Aurors!" Colin Creevey yelled at the top of his lungs, attracting the attention of most of the Hall. "Hip! Hip!"
"Hooray!" a great deal of the student body exclaimed, their faces bright and shining. Kirsten felt as if she were going to throw up. The other three were feeling the same sort of panic.
"Hip! Hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Dumbledore," Ron managed to croak, meeting everyone else's agreeing gaze. And, without further conversation they ran from the hall to the final, resounding cheer of "Hooray!"
* * *
Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore were all having luncheon in Dumbledore's office as they awaited the promised arrival of at least one Alliance member. Each had lapsed into thoughtful consideration of the day's shocking headline...
Sierra Havairhafpvermin finally arrived looking like hell. She mumbled something about hang-over and no sleep before getting right to the point. But, it wasn't long before she was interrupted by four rather distraught teenagers.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Kirsten literally burst into Dumbledore's office. They were nearly hysterical with the day's paper in hand. How on earth could the adult's have forgotten the children would need explanations as well? This concerned them just as much as everyone else.
"Everyone calm down. Explanations are in order," Dumbledore explained quickly relieving at least some of the panic. "I should have warned you immediately," He said, scolding himself as he noticed Hermione's spectral appearance.
"Angie!" Remus cried suddenly. Sierra went even paler as a sinking sense of realization dawned on her. That horrible headline flashed in her mind and a wave of panic surged inside of her.
"She has no idea!" Sierra cried in alarm. Remus and Sierra were already on their feet ready to run all the way to Hogsmeade.
"This was clearly not well thought out," Snape commented sourly from his chair. Sierra turned an icy look upon him. He was always into kicking a person while they were down. Or, in her case, at an emotional breaking point.
"Remus and I will go and explain to her and collect her. Wait here..." She said to the kids who were now looking just as panicked as before. The two swept from the room in unusual haste.
When they reached Hogsmeade the first ominous sign they encountered was the fact that the front door was open. The second ominous sign was the fact that the newspaper lay, slightly twisted up, in the middle of the floor and several pieces of small furniture were upset.
The third ominous sign was the fact that Angie had completely disappeared and she was not at her house.
Further search proved that she was not at the school and she hadn't been seen since yesterday afternoon. If only they hadn't been such idiots. If only they'd have gotten to her earlier.
The headline of the daily prophet screamed the news. And enormous pictures covered the front page. It was all twisted and wrinkled. When Sierra saw it, her body convulsed. It was the headline of the century:
"Sirius Black Found Dead!"
* * *
A/N: I don't trust myself to speak.